FOLLAND SPORTS HISTORY
Based in Hamble-le-Rice, the club was started as Folland Aircraft FC in 1938 and was able to put out established professional players during the Second World War and pretty much scooped every wartime honour they competed for (especially in 1940/41). They were Southampton League members after the war (when known as ‘Follands’) and they joined the Hampshire League in 1968 and added ‘Sports’ a season later. The club went to the Wessex League in 1987 and have remained although they had undergone a series of name changes but have played once again as Folland Sports since 2013.
The club was established in 1938 by workers of the Hamble-le-Rice aircraft factory under the name Folland Aircraft. The club won the Hampshire Senior Cup in 1940/41.The following season saw the club win the Hampshire League and the Hampshire FA's Russell-Cotes Cup. By 1948 the club had left the Hampshire League and were also renamed Folland Sports. In 1968 they re-joined the Hampshire League, becoming members of Division Three East.
When league reorganisation in 1971 saw the regional third divisions replaced with Division Three and Division Four, The Planemakers were placed in Division Three. However, in 1975/76 they finished second-from-bottom of Division Three and were relegated to Division Four. In 1979/80 the club were Division Four champions and moved up to Division Three as Division Four was disbanded; the season also saw them win the Hampshire Intermediate Cup.
They won Division Three the following season, earning a second successive promotion, this time to Division Two. In 1985/86 the club were Division Two runners-up and were promoted to Division One.
In 1990 the club were renamed Aerostructures S&S. In 1997/98 the club won the League Cup. At the end of the season they adopted another new name, this time becoming Hamble ASSC.
When the Wessex League gained a second division in 2004 the club became members of Division One. The division was renamed the Premier Division in 2006, and despite finishing bottom of the table in 2006/07 they avoided relegation to Division One.
However, after finishing second-from-bottom of the division in 2008/09, the club were relegated to Division One. They went on to win Division One the following season, earning an immediate promotion back to the Premier Division.
In 2011 the club were renamed GE Hamble, although the new name lasted only two seasons as they reverted to Folland Sports in 2013.
After a challenging few years on and off the field the club are moving in the right direction both on and off the field and have our first team, reserve side, U18s and Veterans team playing at Folland Park.
